Carlos Miller runs a blog/site regarding the violation of rights in regards to taking photographs in public, whether it’s photographing police officers during a stop or, in this case, taking photographs of a federal building. Video of the encounter after the break.

March 13, 2013

While most states, and our nation itself, are restricting carry in ever larger numbers because of the Newtown tragedy, Utah bucks the trend and thumbs its nose. It looks like the United States is climbing to 5 for the number of states that do not require a permit for concealing a firearm in public. Utah appears to have passed HB0076 by a significant margin. So significant that it’s veto proof! In the House, 50 Yeas are required to avoid a veto by the governor. We got 51 yeas. In the Senate, 20 yeas are required and we got 22.

I’m still hesitant to call it Constitutional Carry because the law still prevents you from carrying loaded until you have your permit or are not on a public street, but this does qualify under the criteria on permitless concealment.

We do still offer a Concealed Firearm Permit, of which I’m an instructor, but it now gets you loaded carry and avoidance of school zones.

The governor still has to sign the bill, but if he refuses to sign it, it merely goes back for a final reading.

October 1, 2012

Graduated HS, never tangled with the law.
Became a United States Marine where I served 7 years in Topographic Intelligence (I made fancy maps).
Held Top Secret/SCI clearance.
Worked retail jobs and went to Ohio State.
Boy Scout Leader
Cub Scout Leader (Webelos)
CPR Qualified on Adults
CPR Qualified on Infants
NRA Range Safety Officer Certified
NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Instructor Certified
I make it my duty to practice with my guns whenever I possibly can.

This is just the start. In two weeks, I am getting NRA Basic Rifle Shooting Instructor qualified. Yet… no matter how much experience I have, no matter how many guns I shoot and work to better myself with… I should absolutely not be able to carry my own personal handgun in public according to the Progressive Left. Nobody has the training to have that right and those that DO get the training are obviously far too paranoid to be trusted with guns.

A second misconception about the relationship between firearms and violence attributes Europe’s generally low homicide rates to stringent gun control. That attribution cannot be accurate since murder in Europe was at an all‐time low before the gun controls were introduced.13 For instance, virtually the only English gun control during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was the practice that police patrolled without guns. During this period gun control prevailed far less in England or Europe than in certain American states which nevertheless had—and continue to have—murder rates that were and are comparatively very high.

Oh, this is juicy.

H/T to Joe Huffman for pointing out that this is *NOT* a recent article, but was published on May 5, 2007.

June 12, 2012

The other day, I was leaving the parking garage going into work and the rent-a-cops for the complex stopped me and chatted it up. He’s former military and was in the Army. He picked me out because I have USMC vet plates on the Blazer. Nice enough fellow who obviously gets very bored on the job since all he does is sits in a Geo Metro driving around between 2 parking garages.

The odd thing about these rent-a-cops is that their employers actually ask that they carry guns. I believe they’re Glock 17s, but they could be some other model. I only remember that they’re 9mm. I say this is odd because the complex used to be a mall and now it’s an entertainment center type of place. There are a handful of buildings that house things like a pizza joint, 5 Guys Burgers, a few sit-down restaurants, a coffee place, movie theatre, arcade, bowling alley, indoor skydiving, Gold’s Gym, etc etc… My office just happens to sit in the same complex.

So this morning, he was walking in the same direction I am so tell him that I think it’s odd that they carry since most security companies DO NOT ask their rent-a-cops to carry and in fact prohibit it, especially with them pretty much being mall cops. He said it’s because of McVeigh that they all do. Interesting… I can see how someone carrying a gun would have stopped McVeigh. I like that they carry, but it’s still trying to use a screwdriver to serve up ice cream. It’s good to have the screwdriver, but you’re not going to stop any bombers with it.

I said that I think it’s awesome that they carry! There’s been more than one assault in the parking garages over the years (but it’s much better than it was). I told him that I carry as well. “Oh, I trust all ex-military with guns.” I just said “Why ex-military? I trust everybody with guns until they can prove otherwise.”

I got a very disapproving look from the guy. You can go screw yourself, buddy.

June 5, 2012

I’ve noticed that the problem with open carry… are the anti-open carry crowd.

What’s interesting, and rather quite telling, is that the only reason that open carry is in the media and being argued about… is that the anti-open carry crowd are the ones bringing it up or trying to teach lessons to the OCers.

I think the latest boutstarted with a loudmouthed jackass bashing everybody who OCs with one huge blanket statement. His beef was over the folks in Cali who OC’ed shotguns and then claimed that the only reason that Cali banned OC was because of them. No, they just reminded Cali that it was legal. Can’t have that. If not them, then someone else. You can’t fight the laws until you fall victim to them.

The ONLY public backlash that might arguably not have happened was the Michigan library incident with the fellow OCing a shotgun. I say arguably because the guy OCing had no choice. If he was going to carry an implement with which to defend himself, it was going to be a shotgun due to the guy’s age. It was not legally permissible for him to carry a handgun to begin with.

I’ve only seen 1 story that told of a guy having his open carry gun stolen by a criminal. The other stories were of pro-gun people teaching a lesson.

If you want to OC, then OC. If you don’t, then don’t, but shut your suck instead of bashing those that do. The benefits that the Open Carry movement have provided have been 100 fold over the few negative instances about Open Carry.

June 1, 2012

The family and I are heading out to my wife’s mother’s cabin. I stopped into the grocery store to pick up some bacon and some corn on the way home from work. While I was there, I saw a familiar hat. The Veteran hat. You know the one… it’s almost always black (sometime’s Navy blue for the squids) with yellow writing. All it said was US Marine Corps on it. The guy wearing it looked to be about 80 years old and he was picking between a few packages of chicken breasts.

Me: Thank you for serving, when did you serve?

Him: Thank you. World War 2.

Me: REALLY!? (the fanboyism was really really showing, then)

Him: Yep!

Me: Where were you for it?

Him: I was on Iwo Jima.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was better than meeting one of my favorite celebrities! I couldn’t even carry on more of a conversation with him, he had me squeeing. He got a grin, a big Semper Fi and I told him good day. I just met one of the greatest people on Earth, today. I just wish I’d had the presence of mind to ask him for his contact information so I can ask him for his stories.

May 28, 2012

This is my non-cookie cutter post. It’s not going to be a long one, but it’s obligatory. It seems General John Kelly is a popular guy with non-cliche speeches. He writes them, then he writes them well. They’re well attributed to him and although sometimes they’re a bit long winded, they’re ALWAYS worth the read!

In mid-March, I posted ‘The Last Six Seconds.’ It’s LtGen Kelly’s retelling of a tale of 2 Marines standing guard in Iraq who stayed to fight when everybody else was running. Arguably, they saved dozens, if not hundreds of their compatriots and then some.

It’s not a story of a single person who died. It’s not about a Marine that jumped on the grenade. It’s a reminder to parents who their son or daughter were. It teaches those survivors more about respect than remorse. I can’t help but think of General George Patton’s quote when I read it, either:

“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died, rather we should thank God that such men lived.” — George Patton, June 7 1945.

When I read Gen. Kelly’s speech, I’ll admit that I cried a bit. When some people read things and start that process, they fix it. They stop reading. When it’s time to remember those that have sacrificed like on Memorial Day, don’t stop reading. You need to read and remember why it is that the words in front of you are evoking the emotion they are evoking. Death sucks. Death is also inevitable. These men decided to make theirs mean something. Don’t let their deaths mean nothing by forgetting what you’re crying for.